Susan Hawk’s rocky debut as Dallas County’s top prosecutor takes a new turn Thursday as she faces an uncertain public reception and lingering questions about her treatment for prescription drug use.

Sworn in as district attorney in January, Hawk pledged to live “by the principles of transparency and accountability.” But since releasing a 99-word statement nearly two months ago that said she got help to stop taking drugs for a bad back, she largely has avoided the issue and rebuffed media inquiries about her medical condition.

Thursday, Hawk will hold a town hall meeting in Pleasant Grove, the first open forum in which she’s expected to take public questions directly since The Dallas Morning News reported she spent time in an out-of-state rehab center during the 2013 campaign.

Some political and public relations experts say her lack of response has hindered her efforts to move past the episode. She’s also been dogged by a staffing upheaval in the DA’s office and allegations from some former employees — which Hawk denied — that she was acting erratically.

Besides the drug issue, she has not talked about two previously undisclosed incidents: a car accident in February in which she collided with the truck of an elderly man while driving in icy conditions and her failure last month to file a state-required personal financial report on time.

Hawk has declined multiple interview requests from The News, and through representatives for her office and campaign did not respond to requests to comment for this story.

Unanswered questions

Hawk, a Republican, acknowledged in March that she “got help” to quit taking medication a doctor prescribed for a “serious back condition.” She said she hasn’t taken any since.

Her statement came after The News reported that Hawk spent about a month at an Arizona rehab facility in October 2013 for use of pain medication and an Adderall-like drug. A courthouse colleague, who agreed to speak on the condition on anonymity, said Hawk had been prescribed the drugs for back pain and attention deficit disorder.

The colleague said Hawk went to rehab at The Meadows, outside Phoenix, after announcing her bid for district attorney in the fall of 2013. Hawk told The News at the time that she was taking a break from campaigning to go to an East Coast facility to have back surgery.

Hawk has not publicly explained the discrepancy. After the newspaper reported the rehab, Hawk’s campaign strategist, Mari Woodlief, said Hawk did not have back surgery but had an unspecified lesser procedure before seeking the drug treatment.

Among other unanswered questions: Was Hawk using prescription drugs when she was a state district judge, before she stepped down to run for district attorney? What kind of help did she get in 2013? Is she currently receiving treatment?

Experts say people who misuse prescription drugs often need long-term care, such as a 12-step support community.

“Someone going away for 30 days — for whatever days — and thinking that they’re cured, it’s really ineffective,” said White House drug czar Michael Botticelli, speaking in general about prescription drug addiction on a recent visit to Dallas. “We know from research that this is a chronic disease for which people need lifelong care.”

America is filled with politicians and elected leaders who have had substance abuse problems. In Texas, former Gov. Ann Richards and former Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock had treatment for alcohol abuse. Richards used her problems to motivate others with various addictions.

“When Ann Richards and Bob Bullock went to drunk school, they didn’t lie about what they were doing,” said Washington-based Democratic political strategist Jason Stanford, who recently moved from Texas and was aware of the controversy surrounding Hawk. “Hiding the circumstances related to your rehab doesn’t engender confidence.”

Hawk touched briefly on the issue in a talk at Southern Methodist University the week after the rehab revelation. In a Q&A with the law school dean, Hawk was asked about her “challenging week.”

“The most important thing that I know,” she said, “is when you stand on the truth, you never fall down.”

Remaining mum

Some experts and political advisers question whether Hawk’s strategy of remaining mum will help her move forward.

Jonathan Bernstein, a California-based crisis management expert, said Hawk undermines her credibility by withholding information from the public. “Communication needs to be prompt,” he said. “If it’s not, innuendo and rumor will fill the gap.”

Former Dallas County GOP Chairman Jonathan Neerman warned that Hawk gives rivals fodder by trying to kick the issue down the road. “There’s no way to move on from this until you have answered the questions,” he said.

“If she went to rehab and got help, she should be celebrated for it,” he said. “She can use this as a platform to speak to others who have had this problem.”

Others, including current county Republican Party chief Wade Emmert, praised Hawk for putting the past behind her and focusing on running the DA’s office. “She has my full support and confidence,” he said.

Hawk in recent weeks has tried to stabilize her office, shaken earlier by high-level staffing upheavals and allegations that she had behaved erratically, including accusing top assistant Bill Wirskye of breaking into her home and stealing an embarrassing photo.

He and another high-ranking employee Hawk brought in — and then asked to leave — characterized the work environment under Hawk as overly suspicious.

She fired Wirskye in March, citing trust issues and saying she wanted her office to present a “united front.”

Wirskye later criticized Hawk’s leadership abilities, saying the office deserved a district attorney who was “stable and competent.” He also said she withdrew the “untrue” break-in allegation.

She announced last month that prosecutor Messina Madson would serve as her new second-in-command.

As Hawk has focused on staffing and policy issues, she bowed out of prosecuting a murder trial in mid-April. And she pushed the Pleasant Grove town hall meeting from late April to Thursday.

A representative organizing the event said the move had “nothing to do” with the prescription drug issue, but that Hawk needed time to meet with police and gather updated crime statistics.

Missed deadline

While campaigning, Hawk assailed Democratic incumbent Craig Watkins for not being transparent with public money after he got into a car wreck and used office forfeiture funds to settle the claim.

She has pledged to start posting forfeiture fund usage online for public review, but has not been as forthcoming on other matters.

Hawk missed the April 30 deadline to file her personal financial disclosure report to the state. The Texas Ethics Commission said this week it had not received her statement, which allows the public to examine elected officials’ personal finances, such as income, investments and gifts.

She also did not publicly disclose a car accident she had with a 79-year-old man in February, on a day when road conditions were icy. Hawk was not legally required to disclose the accident. The News obtained confirmation of the crash with records obtained through the Texas Public Information Act.

Hawk was driving a 2014 Lexus toward an Oak Lawn intersection when “inclement weather” caused her to run a stop sign. She tried to brake but was “traveling at an unsafe speed for icy road conditions” and crashed into a 2003 pickup, the report says.

Police dash cam video shows the vehicles on the side of the road, flashers blinking, and a man getting out of his truck with the help of a cane.

“Both drivers said possible injury but refused medical treatment at the scene,” according to the report.

The other driver could not be reached for comment.

Hawk has not yet hired a public information officer, unusual for an office of that size. She has blamed funding issues.

Her office referred questions about the finance report to Woodlief, her campaign aide, who would not comment about that or the accident.

In March, during Hawk’s last interview with The News, she maintained her commitment to being open with the public. “Any lack of communication with the media has not been due to [a lack of] transparency,” she said.